Five Heroes, One Team
by ParamoreXO
Summary: Teen Titans drabbles & one-shots. "We're not just five heroes, we're one team."
1. Chapter 1

**Fortunately for the Titans, each member had come to compromise on the fact that the Tower required cleaning nearly every other week. **This week, however, good fortune was not at all in Beast Boy's favor. Standing on the platform that overlooked the common room of the tower, his sharp vision turned sore at the mess strewn over every surface. Residue from his and Cy's breakfast buffet stuck to the countertop. They had eaten a variety of servings with such gusto that their satisfied stomach's begged them to lie down. Therefore, the kitchen remained neglected in a sticky, odorous shamble. Dishes were stacked from the depths of the sink rising to an uncanny resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Flour had turned to glue from exposure to water. Grease encrusted the stovetop.

Cringing upon realizing the effort he would have to put into today's job, he faced the gaming area. If anything, it was much worse than the kitchen. Discarded CDs and Game Station cases were scattered across the floor. Controller wires had been knotted and a neglected soda stain tinged the carpet brown. To his ultimate annoyance the remote was nowhere in sight.

_So Robin can track Jinx across the entire city and discover the top secret, underground H.I.V.E. Academy in the process but we still manage to lose __**another **__remote!_

Trudging towards the kitchen in a querulous grumble, he quickly grabbed the cleaning rag and began to viciously scrub at a grime covered plate. _Ugh, sick!_

From behind him, the double doors hissed upon the entry of his fellow teammate. Eager to table his task, he nonchalantly glanced over his shoulder, green eyes connecting with a violet gaze. Acknowledging the dark empath, a sharp tooth slipped from his lips as they spread into a smile. "Hey Rae. Finish cleaning the bathrooms?"

Scoffing, Raven swiftly levitated towards the kitchen, avidly scrutinizing the tabletops. "Apparently I finish my job much faster than you do." Her dissecting eyes rested on the dishware in his gloved hands. "And more effectively."

For a moment, his smile faltered, but he was quick to regain his composure. "Yeah, well with your powers you can finish cleaning in like three minutes! It's so not fair!"

This got a rise of an eyebrow from her, "Get creative."

Scouring the rest of the room, she levitated in the direction of the bay window, rising over the coach and workbench. Reaching for a bowl teeming with a murky liquid, he grimaced as he continued to rid the kitchenware of gunk and grime. Taking her words into consideration, numerous transformations raced through his mind. Which one would get the job done quickest? _A Gibbon? No… A Chimpanzee? Nah… A Squid? Hmm…_

Finally locating the book she had been seeking out, Raven settled on the sofa. While cleaning the gaming area, she figured Beast Boy had carelessly stacked her books up on the workbench to move them "out of the way." Albeit she simply left them thrown against the cushions every time the Titan Alert interrupted her reading, it annoyed her all the same. His room was enough of a disaster, how did any of her teammates believe he would actually sterilize the common room?

A humbled wave of energy washed over her upon hearing the soothing crack of the worn novel's spine. _Thank Azar none of them can read Latin _she reflected once picking up on the latest chapter of her horror novel.

She didn't get very far in her reading, however.

The shrill of shattering glass scraped against her eardrums and shards rained in the kitchen. Slamming her book close, she whipped around to spot Beast Boy in the form of an octopus, tentacles desperately wrapped around the refrigerator. Sighing, she slid her book off her lap and walked over towards the flustered boy, a glower shrouding her visage. "What did you do?"

Morphing back into his human form, the Changeling nervously reached for the back of his neck once he landed on the floor from the height of the fridge. He winced once shards of glass crunched beneath his shoes. "Well, you said to get creative… and I thought having an extra hand would get things done faster."

Slightly amused by his abashed demeanor, she surveyed the damage he had caused. The floor was coated in glittering splinters that most likely accounted for a few plates. Returning her acute gaze to his, he instantly leaned against the fridge. Fear and embarrassment engulfed her senses but the emotions were not her own. Seizing her hood between her scrambling hands, she shoved the material over her head, careful not to show her own anger. _Damn mental blocks… why aren't you working? _Rarely, the mental blocks she had installed against her empathy ever faltered unless by will. It was as if Beast Boy's abrupt reaction towards her caused them to crumble.

_He's cowering away from me because he's afraid that I'll scold him… _Grasping the reins of control over her poise, all traces of agitation or any other _invading _emotion was expunged from her conscious. "Beast Boy," she said in an even, unfeeling tone, "I'm not mad at you."

Instantly, the boy's ropey muscles slackened. He tried to ignore the blood that rushed to his cheeks, "Sorry… it's just… you're really hard to read, Raven. I never know how you feel."

"I cannot afford to feel _anything_. You know that."

"Yeah," he acknowledged, a sudden feral passion igniting the pigment of his eyes. His fingers tensed as they coiled into his palms. "But that's not fair."

Suddenly, the glass shards beneath them collected even more debris as a bowl from the pile of dishes combusted in an explosion of dark energy. His eyes widened in surprise, the only indication of astonishment.

_He's… not afraid?_

"That's why I don't allow myself to feel any sentiment! I'm not going to risk endangering anyone!" The growl in her voice had no influence on her teammate.

His eyes pierced through the shadow of her hood, determination set in his eyes. "Remember our first few months in the Tower? I used to drive you absolutely crazy, maybe even more than I do now, and because of us we've had to replace a whole bunch of windows, remotes, and even a Game Station! But it's different now. Every time I tell a joke, I know it can really annoy you, but you're not nearly as explosive." Crossing his arms, his inclination towards the fridge had grown casual. "I think you're able to tolerate things after a while, Raven. Develop an immunity, yah know?"

Her heart was racing, the pendent on her cloak heaving outwards with her chest due to her deep breathing. But she hadn't been running or moving around… No, it was _him_.

Sparks flew from the electrical socket. Cabinet doors flew open. Her stack of books soared brilliantly across the room, one of them lodging into the magnificent bay window, causing the pane to splinter.

He remained unfazed. "We might not be totally comfortable with each other, but it would help to know what's on your mind from time to time." He was prodding her, encouraging her to open up.

"If I told you," she droned, "I'd probably have to kill you."

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Yeah, well, you're worth dying for. I mean, you've saved my butt on the battlefield more times than I can repay!"

Casting her gaze downwards, her violet eyes settled on the shimmering fragments. "That's because you're too impatient." Reaching for the ground, she carefully scooped up the jagged pieces. Her dark energy began to ooze over the elements, causing the bits to coalesce. "With you, it's about pace. You want to get your chores done so you become reckless. The same tactic applies to your methods when we're saving the city. You demand time, Beast Boy. You're restless and wild, which, when untended, can become destructive."

He opened his mouth to retort but she beat him to the words.

"Your reflexes, however, are empowered by this energy. It does benefit you, but you need to acknowledge endurance." Closing her eyes, her dark power encircled her fist, engulfing the fusing glass. Sensing her powerful aura, he couldn't help but fall into a dark devotion. Some kind of trance had taken over him. "Find your center, focus your energy, and…" Releasing her hold, she powered down, gentle fingers uncurling to reveal a glass figurine.

He grinned, humbled by her presence. "Sooooo, you're telling me to go through trouble to get things done and not take shortcuts?"

The rare smile that had tinged her lips vanished. "Now you're just being annoying."

Chuckling, he sidled up to her, still staring through the veil of dusk cast by her hood. She did not retreat from his sudden advance into her personal space, but she did not encourage it, either. "I'm just messing with yah. But really, if I'm patient with you from now on, will things between us be… well, not as… I mean…Uh…"

Sniggering beneath her cloak, she turned her hand over and allowed the figurine to drop to the floor and bite the dust. "Apply today's lesson and get cleaning. I'd start with the glass. Robin's about to send Cyborg off on his mission so you better be done when he leaves."

Long after Raven had exited the room, Beast Boy remained still, consumed by his insistent thoughts. He didn't quite know how to define his and Raven's relationship. It wasn't like friendship, wasn't like family, wasn't like romance. He really didn't know how to describe it except that it existed. It was there. But if he really did have some patience with her, maybe something would become of them.

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><p><strong>AN: So, if you didn't catch my allusions, I set this moment during "Deception" ( Season 3, Episode 1). Raven and Beast Boy's relationship has always been intriguing to me ( I'm mainly talking the comics, here ), so I'm really excited to explore that here.**

**Anyways, this will be a series of random one-shots & drabbles. Whenever inspiration hits, yah know?**

…**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Exiting the rundown warehouse,** the Titans relished in the sensational triumph of victory after yet another successful mission. Nevertheless, that wasn't without the soreness of the battle taking its toll.

"Man," Cyborg groaned, reaching over his head to satisfy muscular release, "never knew being a puppet could make me feel so stiff!"

"Stiff?" Exasperated, Beast Boy trudged next to his motorized teammate, petulant mood bleeding onto his visage. Every step towards home was a promise of burning pain and muscular ache. "I feel like someone knocked my shoulder out of place! I have bruises _everywhere!_"

Grimacing, Robin wrapped a gloved arm even tighter around Starfire's shoulders, leaning against her for support. The rope burns branded on his ankle produced a limp in his stature. Noticing the leader's sudden contortion of the face, Starfire briefly downcast her eyes. "Apologies, Robin, for your damages. I never wished to attack you but—"

"Hey, it's alright." Grinning up at his friend, the Boy Wonder gave her a reassuring squeeze. "You girls did what you had to do in order to save us."

Alien blood rushing to her cheeks, she felt her face roast in response to his words that were teeming with understanding. She never could be certain when he was starring directly into her eyes but the intensity of his mask captivated her gaze. Her lips parted, verbalization ready to escape into the air and drift into his ears, but the arm-in-arm duo stopped in their tracks as a surge of energy exploded behind them. Carefully pivoting Robin to face the source of the detonation, Starfire barely caught sight of the tip of Raven's cloak oozing into the pavement, swallowed whole by her black energy.

"Why'd you have to be so harsh on her, BB?" Cyborg's eye flared in resemblance to the severe glow of his robotic eye.

Fingers curled in anger, Beast Boy rounded on his friend, wound up from his impulsive encounter with the dark Empath. "Dude, she's the one who made all these bruises!"

"Yeah, in _Starfire's body! _Because your body was switched with a lifeless, freak obeying _puppet!_"

"She didn't have to whack me that hard!"

"Yeah she did! If she hadn't kicked your sorry butt, we wouldn't be here right now!"

"Dude, I'm sore _all over_!"

"Guys, cut it out!" At this point of the argument, things were growing ridiculous. Cyborg and Beast Boy's voices were raised to an alarming and vicious pitch; Robin had to intervene.

Facing the green hero, the slits of Robin mask narrowed in disapproval. "Maybe you should go apologize to Raven when we get home."

"But she beat me up!"

A few more fiery exchanges later, Starfire and Robin resumed their careful pace with Beast Boy grumbling to Cyborg from behind. She had always admired Robin's reasonable approaches to such situations, one of the numerous makings of a wonderful leader. She only wished, however, that he could simply come to terms with the team dynamics and abandon, if even for a moment, his limitless work ethic. Anything to make him acknowledge that, between them, they nurtured something stronger than friendship.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! I really do appreciate it! Because it reallllllly sucks when you have like a billion and five favorite story alerts but only two reviews.**

**Anyways, I do support RobStar… StarRob… Whatever you would like to call it. But yeah. They're so cute!**

**Oh! And this takes place after "Switched" ( Season 1, Episode 7 ). FYI.**


	3. Chapter 3

"_Robin's always saying that we've gotta work smarter, not harder."_

– _Beast Boy, "Homecoming II"_

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><p>Drawing his arm back, his fingers curl into his palm, aiming a deadly hit at his opponent. Yelling out in aggression, Beast Boy lunges forward, fang gritted in a vicious snarl. Impaling his fist into the punching bag, his knuckles grind into the coarse material as the device is forced back with the momentum of his blow. A torrent of merciless chops impact the bulky bag and it's sent on a wild swing, nearly loose on the hook that's screwed into the wall.<p>

With every lug he aims, his energy drains away alongside every ferocious emotion he had suppressed from the Titans last mission. With a final flourish, he drives his menacing fist into the punching bag with a guttural shout. Panting, his desperate lungs suddenly scream for air as he's thrown onto his back. The training room trips and stumbles in his vision and the left side of his face burns furiously. Tenderly cupping his cheek, he leans forward on his knees, ragged breath oozing through grated teeth.

"I think the punching bag beat you this time, Beast Boy."

Snapping his head to the source of the daunt, he jumps to his feet, threatening his team leader with a tense, guarded stance. "What'd you say to me?"

The amusement instantly vanished from Robin's masked visage, "Hey, calm down. It's just practice."

Despite the fact that his gloves had been created to be nearly indestructible, the green changeling could feel his claws sinking through the high polymerized cloth. "I'm just sick of something like that—" he shouted, gesticulating towards the rocking bag, "—happening to me on every damn mission! I'm tired of being pushed around!" His annoyance amplified as he glared at his leader, realizing that it was always so hard to tell how he was feeling because of his damn mask. Whirling around, a battle cry rips through the tense air as he beats the bag once again. Weary from the sudden burst of muscular release, he collapses into the reassuring mats beneath his feet as fatigue washes over him completely.

Allowing the boy to collect his thoughts, Robin waits until Beast Boy's chest rises and falls at a normal rate to sit beside him. "You know," he begins, ignoring his teammate's sudden wince, "I thought you would have learned by now that working harder isn't going to solve anything."

Exasperation distorts his features, "What? Do you even know how you act during team training and simulations?"

Relieved by Beast Boy's sudden humor-tinged jab, the Boy Wonder props his arms behind him and relaxes. "Yes, I'm aware. But what I'm trying to get through to you is that you need to act smarter, Beast Boy, not harder."

Defenses are set off at his leader's, but a sudden realization sinks into his conscious like a sharp blade of a knife. Every muscle in his body begins to burn with the begrudgingly familiar sensation of soreness. "Yeah," he agrees, relaxing onto his back. Closing his eyes against the harsh glare of the florescent lighting, he can feel his leader relax next to him. "I guess you're right."

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><p><strong>AN: I've always been disappointed with the way Robin and Beast Boy never really have major character interaction throughout the show. They seem to connect so well with everyone else but there never really was focus on the two together. After living with a team for years, I suppose they consider themselves as brothers. I mean, Beast Boy has looked up to Robin as a great leader and passionate teammate. I dunno. So, I thought I would explore that…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: The aftermath of "Overdrive" ( Season 4, episode 9 ). You don't necessarily need to see the episode to get the references to it… except to know that Beast Boy is freakin' amazing at origami, the Max 7 is a computer chip thingy that completely turned Cy into a sleep deprived robot, and that Beast Boy is SERIOUSLY freakin' amazing at origami. Also, please note that this takes place after "The Prophecy" but before "The End."**

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><p><strong>Strolling through the entrance of Titans Tower, Beast Boy didn't bother to hide a yawn from his teammates. <strong>"So, after what happened with the Max 7, I feel like I need to get to bed early or something."

Beside him, Cyborg tapped into his biotic arm, checking on his power levels. "After I lockup the tower for the night, that's where I'm heading."

"Agreed," Leaning against Robin's side as she walked, Starfire snuggled into him as her protuberant eyes began to droop. Blood surged to his cheeks as her lips purred into his hair, "Fighting the numerous amount of Billy's is most tiring."

Recognizing the overworked expression on their leader's masked visage, now slightly blooming with discomfort at Starfire's embrace, Raven quietly piqued in from behind them all, "I'll fill out the report."

Securing his gloved arm around the alien princess, Robin was quick to fall behind and match Raven's careful pace as fatigue overwhelmed Starfire's sluggish footfalls. "Thanks. I can move combat practice back a few hours if you're up too late."

Nodding in appreciation, a faint smile tinged her pale lips. With violet eyes, she watched the pair veer off down a hallway as Robin led Starfire to her room. Remembering how the alien girl had used a lamp post as a pillow the previous night, Raven's slight smile was quick to vanish as she realized that was yet another thing to file away with the account on Billy Numerous. Glancing forward, she continued to follow the remaining Titans to the common room. A content silence draped over the trio like a blanket, surprising her with each passing second Beast Boy managed to keep his mouth shut. She embraced the serenity, however, for these tacit moments were rare, especially in the changeling's presence. She blamed it on their fatigue.

The double automatic doors hissed as they entered the common room. The massive bay window offered a view of the harvest moon that seemed to light up the entire span of ocean. A habitual practice, she levitated towards the kitchen and began to search for her tattered tea kettle. Starfire had dishwashing duties last and had the tendency to misplace all dishware. Given that the girl now knew where each individual piece of silverware should be properly placed in a drawer, she had improved. Raven was irked, nevertheless, that she failed to simply keep her practical tea kettle out on the counter directly next to the sugar jar as asked.

With a monolithic yawn, Cyborg set up the nighttime lockdown on the building, making certain that all security systems were up and running. "G'night ya'll. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Cyborg," Raven returned, turning away from the stove to see her friend take leave. From the kitchen table, Beast Boy echoed her. Once the robotic Titan exited for the night, Raven levitated towards the changeling, provoked by curiosity. Noting that papers were spread across the table's surface before him, a nerve near her temple twitched, pinched by irritation. "Beast Boy, I said that _I_ would fill out the report for tonight. I don't need your help."

Not even bother to acknowledge her with his eyes, he took a sheet of paper in his gloved hands and creased it down the middle. "Sheesh, I'm just doing some origami. Don't get ahead of yourself, Rae."

Cramming a retort down her throat, she shot an inquisitive glance over his shoulder. As his gloved fingers smoothed down a fold, Raven recognized the beginnings of another paper hat. Previously that day she had ripped up his last hat in retaliation to a well placed jab. A pang of guilt collided with a spark of fury inside her, causing a teabag to burst within the simmering kettle on the stovetop. She thanked Azar he was too concentrated to take notice of her faltering powers. "How long have you known how to waste even more of your time with yet another mind numbing, idiotic activity as this?"

Scoffing, he glanced up from his handiwork and faced her, casually tilting back in his chair. "What, are _all _of my hobbies 'mind numbing' and 'idiotic' to you?"

"Basically."

A fang slid out and over his full bottom lip, caught by the moonlight. "My foster mother taught me when I was a kid. She always made me feel special when she'd make my favorite animals." The pigment of his eyes clouded over with memories and a small chuckle fled his lips, "Then Mento would use them as figures for battle tactics and Rita would—" suddenly, the fog lifted from his distant gaze and his expression morphed into a cold, disciplined look.

"Beast Boy…?"

He abruptly turned away back to his origami. "Sorry… I shouldn't have mentioned them."

The vacant seat beside him shifted as she hesitantly seated herself. "Maybe," she began while watching his meticulous folding, "it's good for you to talk about them. It is unhealthy to bottle things up."

The fibers of the paper began to split at his hands, "You're one to talk."

"I never said that I live a healthy lifestyle."

The strident tea kettle pierced through the stiff silenced that clogged the air. Rising to retrieve her soothing remedy, she rummaged through the cupboards for her drinking mug. She was so focused on finding the blasted object that she barely caught her teammate's next words. "Well, what do you want me to say about them?"

Sighing, she gave up her search and turned off the stovetop, settling for one of Cyborg's coffee mugs. Returning to the table, she noted Beast Boy's slumped shoulders and the deflated tone of his voice. "It's not that I _want _you to. I just want what's best for you."

Sneering, he set his design down and looked her right in the eyes. "And bringing up old stuff is what's best for me? Do you even _know _what's best for me?"

She sighed deeply into the balmy steam of her mug, savoring the distinct scent the herbal blend breathed into her pores. The warmth radiated into her palms and swarmed her fingertips with blood that shaded her insipid flesh purple and white. "I know enough to see through all your ridiculous jokes." Bringing the rim of the cup to her lips, she blew out to alleviate the burn of the murky liquid. A swirl of steam drew towards the boy beside her until it evaporated into nonexistence. "I'd say our survival strategies are both extremely unhealthy."

Now, the craft in his hands seemed only useful for a distraction. He wanted to escape this conversation, especially now that Raven was on the receiving end of his past information. "Yeah, well, I don't want to talk about them."

"Yes you do." Drawing out a sip of tea, she allowed the heat to surge through her body after scalding her taste buds. "Someone needs to hear you out, Beast Boy, and I happen to have enough patience for you right now." He opened his mouth to interject but she still had more to say. "You want to talk about them, you just do not know how to approach the subject. I can empathize with you. Your pain is my pain…" Setting her mug on the table, she made certain he did not avert her sharp gaze, "_literally._"

"How about you go first, hmm? What I just told you about my foster 'rents is way more than anything I've heard from you about your parents."

The shadows on her face seemed to suddenly distort her expression into jagged features. "You already know about my father. I'm the daughter of a demon."

"Yeah," He rushed, completely wary of the flash of red that seized the violet in her eyes, "But what about your mom?"

The edge of her glass returned to her lips as she drew out a long, savory sip. Her eyes sought him out from behind the rim and shot him a pointed look.

"Okay, I'm guessing you two don't get along?"

"She may have had her humanity but she was just as bad as my father."

"Was?"

Another raw pause settled between the two.

He glanced at her beverage, aware that the stream of steam had halted. "I wasn't always green, y'know."

Nodding, the empath took another swig from her drink.

"My real parents were scientists testing out in the African safari. I was just a baby with a weak immunity and caught a sickness that could've killed me. They saved me, though… that's how I turned green. They tried to cure me and succeeded, only to leave a curse behind."

This got a rise of an eyebrow from her. "Curse? Are you referring to your ability to shapeshift?"

His eyes were still trained on her mug. "Ownership over me has been swapped around a few times. In some instances, I was only wanted for my powers. There are some sick and twisted bastards out there…"

"You think that I don't know that?"

"To have people after you only for what you can do? No, I don't think you do."

With a slight tug at the corners of her pallid lips, despite all the truth to his words that hit close to home, a dim smile surfaced. "Congratulations, Beast Boy. I never thought you were capable of sarcasm."

Finding her rare grin contagious, he flashed a toothy grin. "I never thought we were capable of holding such a serious conversation." Pleased by her reaction, he leaned forward in his chair. "Thanks, by the way. Talking about them helped a little…"

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><p><strong>Replacing the cap back over her pen, Raven gathered her paperwork concerning that night's crime. <strong>The cover sheet was stained with a crude blot of her tea, the aftermath of yet another attempt of Beast Boy getting a rise out of her. Glancing at the clock on the stove, a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her sleep deprived body as the numbers 3:26 glared back at her. Beast Boy had long since taken his leave of the common room to get some shut eye, yet the effects of their conversation felt like freshly made wounds. He was starting to bleed onto her, what with opening up to him and all. Querulous remarks bated by her breath, she discarded her empty mug in the sink and began the trek to her room.

By the time she reached her door she was practically dragging her feet with each step. The wall opened up before her and she trudged through. Unfastening her cloak, the material billowed around her feet, swallowing her ankles, and nearly caused her to trip. Levitating out of the snare of fabric, she glided towards her vanity until something on her bed caught her eye. Adrenaline spurted through her veins, heightening her awareness. She guardedly soared towards her bed only to be taken over by relief upon recognizing the object. Perched upon the slightly rumpled cover was an intricately crafted piece of origami undoubtedly created by Beast Boy. Upon further inspection, however, her heart seized. Each crease and fold ultimately created the figure of a raven made from paper of her favorite color. Tenderly, she gathered the delicate craft in her hands, marveling at the boy's skill. Of all things elaborate, a dragon **( 1 )** had been the more convoluted craft for her teammate rather than a raven. Nevertheless, the fashioned paper nestled in her hands felt all too personal.

Fingering the beak of the creature, she smiled at the message scrawled upon the flimsy wing, almost forgetting to be mad at the boy for entering her room without permission. Almost.

Rereading the note again and again, she figured she had time to scold him in the morning. She could afford a smile for now.

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><p><strong>( 1 ) If you look closely during the scene where the Titans fix Cyborg and discard the Max 7, you can see a paper dragon and a paper swan sitting next to Beast Boy as he's folding his paper hat. I honestly don't know where the "slow, tiny" turtle came from.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! (:**


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